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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rest · foot · bowl · cue · roll · fork · land · racket

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. fork — in a road
  3. foot — a measure
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. roll — a list
  8. land — ground
  9. roll — a cake
  10. cue — a signal
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. cue — a hint
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. cue — for pool
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. land — a country
  19. rest — what's left
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. rest — what's left
  23. land — to come down
  24. fork — a garden tool

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com